Let Me In
by AliStew001
Summary: My name is Edward Anthony Masen and I never thought that this would happen to me. I never thought that SHE would happen to me. But I couldn't leave her out there; she looked so fragile, so... alone. EPOV, OOC. Rated M for a reason.
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

**This story is inspired by the movie _Let the Right One In_ and I'm still developing it so... I think you'll have to be a little patient. I'll do my best to finish this one so stick with me ;)**

**Oh, one more thing: in my story vampires are a little different than Stephenie's. They have normal eye colors (blue, brown, green...), aren't cold or hard but are still fast and immortal without aging. And they don't have fangs either.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

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><p>-<em>Prologue<em>

You can call me skeptical if you want.

I never believed in fairy tales, love at first sight, mythical stories; it was all a load of crap to me.

Maybe it's because I've always been a very lonely guy. You see, I'm 26 years old, live all by myself in middle-of-nowhere town named Forks, Washington and I'm not exactly a "sociable" person. But I'm used to it. Actually, I'm better off alone anyway.

People are vile. They're vicious little things capable of doing anything just to get what they want. They chew you up and then spit you out. I've lerned my lesson in the worst way. So I was just... done. I secluded myself in an old log cabin right next to the woods and lived a relatively peaceful life.

But that was until _she_ came along.

I'll never forget that day; night, actually. How could I; it turned my world upside down completly. For better, for worse, well you name it cause I'm really not sure.

They always say a vampire can't enter your house unless you invite them in. Like I said; all bullshit to me.

I had let her in. I had allowed her into my home, into my life, without ever having a sneaking suspicion. But I couldn't leave her out there; she looked so fragile, so…alone.

But how was I ever supposed to know that _she_ was one?

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><p><strong>First chapter as soon as I get a Beta for this story :)<strong>

**Prologue beta'd by Little Miss Mionie.  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

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><p>The first thing I heard in the morning was Bandit's bark. Who needs a rooster or an alarm clock when you had him? I knew I didn't need anything or anybody else. My boxer dog wakes me up every day at 6:30 a.m., and I'm ready to go. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom while scratching my rear and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.<p>

After taking a cold shower, I went straight to the kitchen to make some coffee and get Bandit's food. As I opened the cabinets, I noticed we were running out of food, which means it was time to hit the road and go to town to do some grocery shopping.

"C'mon, Bandit, we're going out," I yelled as I grabbed my coat and keys and headed to the door. Soon enough, Bandit came running, so we stepped out, and I locked the house.

He ran to my huge black truck and left for town. The only time we went to town was when it was absolutely necessary. Have I already said that I really don't like people? Well, I don't. Call me bitter, anti-social, whatever the hell you want, but it's better off this way; for me and for them.

Finally, we arrived. I parked my truck and got out, but left Bandit inside, the window slightly cracked for him. Honestly, I just wanted to get it over with, get away from the stares and the whispers. You see, I have a little reputation in this town. Everyone here seems to think I'm a dangerous freak, the crazy loner who lives all by himself in the woods. It's like I walk around with a sign that screams "Stay the fuck away". Ask me if I give a flying fuck.

I quickly grabbed the things I needed and went to the cash register. Okay, the stares were really starting to bug me. A young blonde girl was picking at her fingernails and gave me a large smile when she saw me.

"Good morning, Mr. Masen. How are you today?" she asked with an annoying high-pitched voice.

"Good," I replied in a cold tone.

Her smile faltered and she looked uneasy. I smirked. Yeah, you should know better than trying to make small talk with me.

I didn't look at her again as I got my bags and returned to the car. Bandit stared barking loudly once he spotted me.

"Easy, boy," I said as I started the car and headed back home.

Sometimes I wished I weren't this lonely. Not that I'm complaining about my life or anything; I'm not one to nag or whine over my solitude. I enjoyed it actually. But when you stop to think about the fact you have no one to talk to besides your dog, well...it's kinda depressing.

So I sat by my small dinner table in the kitchen and ate lunch by myself. Again.

I looked out the window and noticed the overcast sky outside. It was a lot darker than it should have been. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. 12:37 p.m. Huh. Looks like a storm is coming.

After I finished eating, I got up, washed the dishes and went to close all the windows. I could smell the rain in the air outside.

I decided to relax a little on the sofa and turned on the TV. No good movies were on, so I settled for the local news channel. There was a story on about a string of murders occurring in the Olympic Peninsula, and they haven't found the perpetrator yet.

These weren't your typical murders where someone was shot or stabbed or strangled to death; no, according to the news anchor, the guy's entrails were fully exposed. Victims were found shattered and ripped apart, with blood everywhere. It was violent.

I caught myself staring wide-eyed at the screen in front of me. I shook my head and switched the channel. Sometimes ignorance is bliss...

I wasn't even paying attention to the TV anymore. My eyelids started to feel heavy; it always happened whenever I was in front of a television set.

It seemed like hours had passed until I heard Bandit barking outside. But it wasn't a happy or excited bark. It was murderous, with growls in between. And it sounded really far away. What the hell was going on? Is someone around here?

I jumped right off the couch and grabbed my rifle - just in case - and went to check outside.

Bandit was about twenty feet away from the house, barking and growling like crazy into the woods. Saying that that was a creepy sight was an understatement, considering the way the trees would swayed with the wind and the scary hissing sound it would made, not to mention the clouds had completely covered the sky making it eerily dark.

"Bandit!" I shouted and whistled, but it was like he didn't even hear me. I was really not comfortable with the situation. Something was off. And I didn't like it.

I looked down at my watch. 1:53 p.m. I marched toward Bandit and pulled him back by his collar. He whimpered a little, but showed no resistance. Once we were inside the house, I locked the doors too. Enough of the barking for today.

After a while, it started to rain. It was more like the sky was pouring rain. The noise of the water hitting against the window panes was really loud, like it was raining stones. I couldn't see anything out the window because of the rain and lack of lights.

I realized I still hadn't dropped my rifle. It was pressed firmly against my chest, and I had no intention of letting it go. I sat back against the couch with my rifle still in hand and Bandit lying by my feet on the rug. He seemed alarmed by something. But, so did I.

The house would have been extremely silent if it hadn't been for the deafening sound of the storm outside. I hadn't move a muscle and neither had Bandit. For some reason, I just kept staring at the wall clock, watching the seconds tick by and wondering what the fuck was going on. I could feel that this wasn't just another simple storm.

6:46 p.m.

The rain was still pouring outside. It was ridiculous to sit here like a fucking statue and wait for it to stop, or wait for something to happen. I went to the kitchen to make dinner, but I didn't even make it to the door before all the lights went out. Great. Now it was dark inside the house, too.

I blindly reached for the cabinet in the far corner, opened it and grabbed a couple of candles and some matches. I put one on the kitchen table and kept holding the another one. Bandit was frantic, running from side to side with his tongue hanging out, except this time he was quiet.

Suddenly the rain came to an end. It just...stopped. A little while later, the power was back again. I went over to the window and looked outside; it was still very dark, but at least it wasn't raining anymore.

Bandit ran to the back door, the one that faced the thicker woods and began scratching at it furiously with his paws. I went to him and opened the door, thinking it wasn't a big deal to let him go outside for a while. Besides that, I didn't want to have to fix any damage he would do.

Instead of running outside, Bandit rushed further into the house whimpering, with his tail between his legs. I furrowed my brows and looked outside. I had to narrow my eyes so I could see something in the dark; there was nothing but trees. What the fuck is wrong with that crazy dog?

I shut the door and turned around. Not two steps later, someone knocked. What the...

Where did I put the rifle? I look around searching for it, and there was another knock on the door. Bandit was nowhere to be found. I turned around and slowly opened the door...

What I saw wasn't what I expected, not at all. To be honest, I didn't even know what I expected.

The most beautiful girl in the world was standing in front of me, dressed in a soaked, small white dress. She had a slender figure, long dark hair and really pale skin.

She looked at me with lost brown eyes, eyes that held pure loneliness and despair. And then she bit her lower lip.

All I could do was stare at those full lips like a total moron. They looked so incredibly soft. She looked down and shifted from one bare foot to another, hugging herself.

I cleared my throat. "May I help you, Miss?"

"Please," she whispered, shivering a little.

"Are you lost? Do you need to use the phone or something?"

She shook her head. "Please, don't leave me out here." She looked up at me and I was a goner. Although I didn't know who the girl was, didn't know where she came from, didn't even know her name, I wouldn't leave her outside all alone in the dark.

"Well, um...Okay, come on inside. You must be freezing." I stepped aside and let her in. She gave me a tiny smile but it was enough to make my head spin for a moment.

Once she was inside, I closed and locked the door. "So, what's your name, Miss?"

She was looking around the house when she answered in her sweet, child-like voice, "I'm Bella." She turned to face me and her eyes met mine. "You?"

"Edward." I smiled.

Her eyes glazed over for a brief moment, and she bit her lip again. I wish she would stop doing that; it was driving me crazy.

"You can sit down here," I said, pointing to the couch. "And I'll go make something for you to eat."

"No! I mean...You don't have to, really. Thank you," she said shyly, then looked down.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she smiled timidly again, "I'm not really hungry."

"Okay, then."

I walked past her to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was some leftover steak from last night, so I would just put it in the microwave.

I turned around, and Bella was right there; we almost bumped into each other. She was probably peeking over my shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" I asked her again before I ate it all.

"No, I'm fine," she answered in a small voice.

"Suit yourself." I grumbled and went back to my dinner.

Bella was standing in the middle of the kitchen, just watching me while I put the steak in the microwave, grabbed some juice from the fridge, and sat down at the dinner table and ate.

"Are you just gonna stand there?"

She fidgeted for a moment then timidly made her way to the table and sat down in front of me. I arched an eyebrow and continued eating.

"So, why are you here?"

"Huh?" She looked like she was lost in thought.

"How did you get here?" I asked, keeping my eyes on her.

"I...uh...I don't know, really. I was wandering down the road and ended up here."

I took a deep breath. "Well, I can take you back to the road tomorrow morning. And give you some money if you need. It's too dark outside to go anywhere right now."

She looked up at me with big panicked eyes. "No. No, no, no, please don't make me go back." She reached for my hand across the table. "Please Mr. Edward, let me stay..." she begged.

I took a good look at her. If there was anything in this world close to perfection, it was this girl. She looked very young, around 17 or 18, and had a heart-shaped face with lovely brown eyes. Now that it was drying, I could see she had long, wavy mahogany hair.

Bella surely was an exquisite creature, but I couldn't do what she was asking of me. There was no way she was staying here longer than tomorrow. I'd let her stay for the night, 'cause I'm not that cold-hearted, but she'd definitely have to go.

I pulled my hand away from hers. She looked lost. "We'll talk about that later, okay?" I tried to smile.

"Okay," she breathed, looking a little more relieved.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ I thought to myself.

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><p><strong>Sorry it took so long... but here you go!<strong>

**Thank you so much for the reviews :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

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><p>"You can wear this while your dress is drying," I said as I handed Bella one of my old t-shirts.<p>

She held it against her chest. "Where may I change?"

"There's a bathroom right down the hall to the left."

She nodded then slowly left the room.

I sunk back into my bed and pulled fiercely at my copper hair. I had to find a way of telling Bella, very smoothly, that she really had to get going by the morning.

In a way I knew there wasn't a chance she could stay here with me; I didn't even know who she was for fuck's sake! But on the other hand, for some twisted, fucked up reason, I didn't want to let her go.

Maybe it was my solitude getting to me. It never bothered me before, but now that Bella was here, with all of her glory and despair, all I could think about was what my life would be like if I had... someone.

No. I couldn't afford that. And I wouldn't make the same mistakes all over again. Not because of a pretty little face. Well, Bella isn't just any pretty little face...

I got up and went to the guest room to prepare the bed for her. I had to be strong. First thing in the morning I would wake her up, give her some breakfast and take her back to the main road. I was sure she had somebody waiting on her. She had to have a family somewhere worried about her. It didn't seem like it, though. She almost got on her knees and begged me to stay. But why? Why would anybody want to live here? With me?

I heard the floor board creack lightly behind me and turned around. Bella was at the doorway wearing my black shirt, which looked huge on her. It was a sight to behold.

"Oh. Hey um... You can stay here for tonight. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

Bella was still standing in the doorway and when I walked past her, she grabbed my arm.

"Thank you, Edward. For your kindness," she whispered, and her face is so close to mine that I can smell her intoxicating sweet breath. I blinked furiously. How did she do that?

"No problem," I mumbled and headed to the bathroom.

After my shower, I went to my room and closed the door after me. Bella's probably sleeping . The house was utterly silent, and I couldn't help but remember the weird storm before Bella's arrival. Perhaps that was what made her get lost. Oh well, I supposed I'd never know.

I lay in my bed and turned off my lamp. I rolled over on my back and stared up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours until I heard the door creaking softly. I lifted my head and saw a little dark figure peeking from behind the door.

"Bella?" I whispered.

She said nothing; just slowly stalked foward, almost like she was afraid of coming closer. She reached the foot of the bed and bit her lower lip.

"Is something wrong?" I tried again.

"Will you let me... sleep here with you? I don't wanna be alone."

"Sure, I'll take a pillow and you can have the be-"

"Please, don't. I just... I promise I don't snore," she stated with a smile. I tried to smile back as she crawled into bed with me.

I went to the further end of the bed, as far from her as possible. I didn't know if she had any idea of the effect she was having on me. Bella remained still for a few minutes, and I wondered if she had fallen asleep.

But then I felt a small, soft hand touching me underneath the blankets. My breath hitched as her whole body got closer to mine until she was pressed firmly against my back.

"Bella, I don't think..." I began, but I lost my focus when she straddled me and put a delicate finger over my lips.

"Shh. Just feel it," she told me in a barely audible whispered, and I closed my eyes.

She leaned down and attacked my neck with her hot mouth, covering it with open mouthed kisses as her right hand traveled down my chest. It was wrong; I shouldn't be doing this with a girl I know nothing about and was probably underage, but when her hand snuck inside my pants and grabbed my hardened dick, I lost it.

My arms snaked around her slim waist, locking her in a vise grip as my hips bucked upwad, and we became a mess of entwined limbs and bodies in the dark. Her skilled hand started to shift up and down my member, and I felt her teeth brush against my neck. My heart started pounding loudly in my chest at the feeling, and that confused me a little; it was like my body knew I was in danger and the adrenaline rush hit naturally.

But she didn't give me time to think much about that; she brought her lips to mine and kissed me deeply. I immediately opened my mouth and pushed my tongue into hers. She tasted oddly sweet.

Bella let out a moan as our tongues caressed each other and reached for the waist band of my sweatpants, pulling it down. She wasn't even wearing panties anymore.

"Bella, stop. I don't have any protection."

She looked up at me with hypnotizing yet innocent eyes. "Don't need to worry about that," she whispered as she lowered herself onto me.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I groaned loudly at the feeling of her wet, warm core enveloping me. It had been a long time since I'd felt the warmth of a female body.

Since _she_ left.

I shook the memories away and grabbed Bella's hips, rocking her into me in a way that made us both moan in unison. The whole time Bella kept her face buried in the crook of my neck. Our movements became frantic, and she moaned louder and louder with each thrust.

"Please don't let me go, Edward. Don't let me go," she breathed into my ear, her walls clenching tightly around me as she reached her climax. I could feel my own orgasm building, and when I felt her sucking harshly on the pulse point on my neck, it brought me to the edge. I could feel the spasms wave through me as I filled her with my warm fluids, my grip on her tightening.

Her body collapsed limply on top of mine, and we tried to catch our breath.

We stayed clompletely still in the dark room, as Bella rested her head on my chest. I didn't dare to move a muscle, afraid that I'd wake up any moment. So I just held her close to me, feeling my eyelids getting heavier with time.

Bandit was barking loudly outside.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked out the window. Then all the events from the night before came rushing back into my head. What the hell had happened? I should have known better when Bella came into my room in the middle of the night and asked to sleep with me. I should have told her no; she was a big girl all right and all I could provide her was a warm bed and food, not emotional comfort.

But who was I to resist her? I was just human after all. And she... well, she was something else. Bella had this innocent, sweet aura around her and it made her extremely sexy. The way she talked, the way she moved; everything about her would pulled you in. Who was I kidding; I wouldn't be able to resist her even if I wanted to.

And the smell of her skin. The taste of her mouth on mine. The feel of her soft, warm skin under my fingertips. The way she sweetly moaned my name...

I shook my head to get rid of the haunting thoughts. And the tent in my pants wasn't helping either.

I looked to the left side of the bed and noticed it was empty. "Bella?" I called out, my voice hoarse from sleep. I was met with silence.

I got up from the bed and went to search for her. As I walked down the hall, the smell of pancakes filled my nose, and it was good. Really good. When I entered the kitchen, the sight before me made me freeze in my spot.

Bella had her back turned to me, facing the stove. She was wearing her short white dress, exposing her ceamy, long legs. I just stood there, staring at her as she worked. I already knew I'd never forget this girl for as long as I lived, but it was time for her to go.

Before I could say anything, Bella turned around holding a pan with a pancake in it. She smiled shyly when she saw me.

"Oh, good morning. I made you breakfast, I hope you don't mind," she said as she dropped the pancake on the plate that was set on the table. There was a glass of orange juice next to it, along with some scrambled eggs and some toast.

"You made this all for me?" Why would she bother to wake up early just to make me breakfast?

"Yes, I did. And I've already fed Bandit."

I looked at her in awe . She was just too good to be real. I had to get her out of here, and soon.

"Look, Bella, I really appreciate everything you've done but-"

"I've also done a little cleaning, laundry and washed the dishes from last night," she said, grasping at straws.

"Bella," I said as I walked slowly toward her. "I think we need to talk."

She nodded weakly. "Okay."

We went to the living room and sat side-by-side on the couch." I took both of her delicate hands in mine, trying to find a way to approach the subject.

"Um, Bella, about last night... I just want you to know I never meant to take advantage of you or anything, and it was wrong."

"You didn't like it?" She sounded hurt.

I looked up at her, startled with her question."What? No! No, I didn't mean that. What I'm trying to say is that I shouldn't have let it happen because we barely know each other. And that's why you have to go."

She stared at me like I had a third eye. "You can't do that. You can't make me go back. You can't..." she chanted on, not even talking to me anymore.

Her eyes were focused on something distant, something that surely terrified her.

"What is it, Bella? Where did you come from?"

She looked back at me, her lips slightly parted. "I don't remember. I mean, it's all very confusing and blurry in my mind. All I know is that I don't wanna go back."

"But how did you end up-"

"I ran away," she interrupted. "I had to. But if you don't want me to stay, I'll leave. I don't want to be a burden." Her voice as dead as she stood up and slowly made her way to the front door.

I was out of words. A part of me wanted to stop her, to ask her to stay, to do something. But the other part was telling me this is what I wanted the whole time, and now she was leaving.

I watched her as she opened the door and left. So that was it? No tears, no begging, nothing? Yeah, well, this was for the best. She was not my responsibility after all. It wasn't not of my concern if she was out there all alone with no place to go, wandering aimlessly...

Not my problem.

I stood up and went to kitchen. A breakfast like that couldn't go to waste. Bandit came barking in moments later. He seemed agitated.

"What's up, boy? Is something wrong?"

He bit on my shirt and started pulling at it.

"Oh, so you wanna play, huh?" I stood up and put the dishes away. I knew it was silly, but I didn't want anything that reminding me of Bella around.

We spent the whole morning playing catch outside. Bandit looked so much more carefree today. I had barely seen him around last night. Right before Bella arrived, he just took off and stayed away until... well, until now.

At noon, we went back inside and had lunch. After that, the day passed by quite normally, except Bella kept haunting my every thought. She'd said she didn't have anywhere to go, and that was some serious shit. The worry and guilt were slowly consuming me.

I tried to keep my mind busy for the rest of the week. I looked for house chores, took Bandit for a check-up at the vet, anything to keep my mind off her.

You could say my life had returned to normal after that night, but the ghost of her was always there. I could act like nothing ever happened, but something had happened, and I couldn't just erase it.

The mysterious attacks continued. At some point during the week, two more victims were found dead in the woods with the subtle detail of not having any skin or blood on their bodies. And they still hadn't found the murderer. I guessed I'd have to watch my back.

I parked my truck in an empty spot and stepped out. Mrs. Cheney turned to me when I entered the diner and smiled warmly. I smiled back and went to my usual table next to the window.

Mrs. Cheney brought me my coffee . "Anything else, Mr. Masen?"

"No, I'm good."

She nodded and walked away. I looked out the window at the night sky out the window. You could barely see the stars in this town; the clouds never allowed that to happen.

As I stared, a single, tiny drop of water fell on the window. Then another one, and another, until it was fully raining outside.

I watched as people came into the diner bundled up to spend the Saturday night out with family, boyfriends, girlfriends. Ordinary people in an ordinary town doing ordinary things. Not even the rain or the cold would stop them from hanging out with the people they loved, and it wouldn't stop me from having my weekly coffee.

As the minutes went by, the diner got more and more crowded, and that was my cue to leave. I paid for the coffee and stepped out into the torrential rain. I picked up my pace so I wouldn't get too wet, but before I could reach the truck, something caught my eye.

It was shrunken on the ground, against the wall, shaking as the wind blew and the rain poured relentlessly. My curiosity got the best of me and I carefully walked towards the figure. When I got close enough to see what it was, my brows furrowed in disbelief.

It was a girl. I couldn't see her face with her head bent down, her long soaking dark hair covering her features, but she seemed very familiar.

"Excuse me," I called through the rain, and the girl shot her head up abruptly, startled by the sound of my voice. Her eyes widened when she recognized me.

"Bella," I whispered into the rainy night.

Before I could do anything else, she jumped up and started running in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" I yelled and took off after her. She ran pretty fast, but my legs were longer, and I reached her before she disappeared into the woods next to the parking lot, grabbing her by the waist.

"Where do you think you're going?" I panted into her ear. Her breath was even, as if she had made no physical efforts at all.

"I thought you didn't want me." She struggled to get away from my grip, but I wasn't having any of that.

"I never said that. And you don't expect me to leave you out here to fend for yourself, do you?" I tightened my hold around her torso, and she became limp in my arms, giving in. Then her entire body started to shake, and her head fell forward.

"I don't know what else to do," she whispered weakly between sobs, her voice fading with the sound of the rain.

I had no other choice. If I didn't bring her back with me, she would live on the streets, in the cold, in the rain, in the dark. That simple thought drove me insane.

So I did what I had to do. I picked her up in my arms, put her safely inside my truck and drove us back home.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Just remember the vampires in my story are very different from Stephenie's ;)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Chapter III**

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><p>"Do you need anything else?"<p>

"No, I'm good."

"Are you sure?" I lingered at the doorway of the guestroom, my hand on the doorknob.

"Yes, I'm sure," she giggled, but it sounded more like bells tinkling. She was lying on the bed, the blankets tucked under her chin.

"Alright. Good night, Bella." I turned to leave the room.

"Edward," she called in her sweet voice, sounding a little unsure.

I turned around and caught her biting her bottom lip again.

"Yes?" My voice shook a little.

She hesitated for a moment. "Thank you again for helping me. I really thought you didn't want me around."

Bella looked incredibly vulnerable, her eyes shining with gratitude, as she looked up at me.

I slowly made my way back to her. "Bella, you know it wouldn't be any other way." I sat at the edge of the bed, her dark eyes never leaving me.

"You needed help. So I helped you," I continued.

"And I'm really grateful for that, Edward. I promise I won't be a burden. You won't even notice me."

I eyed her for a moment. She was indeed the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. Her skin glowing in the dim light of the room, complemented by her eyes, which always seemed to sparkle when I looked at them.

She watched me expectantly, like she was waiting for me to suddenly change my mind and kick her out again.

"Bella, are you hiding from someone?"

My question must have caught her off guard, because her eyes widened for a moment before turning down, her hands gripping the blankets firmly.

"Or are you running from the law? 'Cause if you are, Bella, I'm afraid I won't be covering for you..."

"No, it's not what you think." Her voice shook slightly.

I kept staring at her, waiting for an elaboration, but she refused to meet my eyes, as she remained silent.

"How old are you, Bella?"

She finally looked up at me. "I'm eighteen."

_Eighteen._

She was just a kid. A lost, young girl running from Lord-knows-what, willing to have sex with a stranger just so she would have a place to stay.

I didn't know what she running or hiding from, but it was big. Just the mention of her having to leave panicked her, and she'd rather live on the streets than go back to where she came from.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

Her expression became pained.

"I am. I just don't wanna talk about it right now." She looked up at me and smiled lightly.

"I see. Well, I'm going to bed now. Sleep tight." I stood up without looking back.

"Edward?"

I turned around slowly and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't get a goodnight kiss?" she whispered, biting on her bottom lip again.

She wasn't playing fair and she knew that. I was merely a prey to her charms. So I made my way back to her tentatively and leaned down, bringing my face close to hers.

I was just about to touch my lips lightly to her cheek when she turned her face abruptly, pressing her soft lips to mine.

I froze for a moment, and she took the chance to hold my face with both her hands to keep me in place. I drew in a sharp breath when she caught my bottom lip between hers and sucked on it.

I pulled away from her, trying to catch my breath. Without saying anything, I turned around and fled from the room.

"Good night, Edward," I heard her calling after me, as I closed the door.

I had to fight the urge to lock the door, too, just in case she wanted to pay me another visit. I went to the bathroom and took a long and hot shower to de-stress, putting on some dry clothes afterwards.

I was trying not to think about the girl lying in that room right now, without any success. That night was still a mystery to me. At first, when she had shown up at my door, I thought nothing of it; she was just scared and confused and would eventually fall asleep. _I__f I only new._

But I wouldn't let it happen again; I wouldn't take advantage of her like that. Deep inside, I knew exactly why she had done it. I knew she was just trying to seduce me so I wouldn't send her away the next day. I guess she wasted her time then, because that's not the reason why I brought her back. I couldn't stand the idea of her living in the streets by herself, knowing that she asked for my help and I denied it.

After my night shower, I dragged my tired body to bed. All I wanted was the comfort of my soft pillows. I must have been really tired, because what seemed like seconds later, Bandit was barking loudly outside.

I went downstairs, expecting to find Bella preparing something for breakfast in the kitchen, but she wasn't there. The house was completely silent, until Bandit came rushing through the back door, his tail wagging excitedly.

"Good morning, boy. You haven't seen Bella around, have you?" I asked him, as I petted his head. He let out a soft whimper and ran off to the living room. I shrugged, then grabbed a bowl and a box of cereal.

I looked at the clock and it read 10:17 a.m. Bella still hadn't shown up, and I didn't want to bother her in case she was still sleeping. I spent the rest of the morning doing trivial house chores. I played a little with Bandit outside, since he was more active when Bella wasn't around.

Lunchtime passed by, and still no sign of Bella. The house had been completely silent apart from the noises Bandit and I were making. I was starting to get worried, so I decided to go upstairs and check on her.

I knocked softly at the door, and no one answered. I could hear nothing from the other side.

"Bella?" I knocked again, louder this time.

After a few moments of silence, I creaked the door open slowly, poking my head inside.

My eyes tried to adjust to the darkness inside the room. The lights were out and the curtains were closed, the minimal light coming from outside was barely enough to properly illuminate the room. Then I saw Bella under the covers in the middle of the bed, her eyes slightly open, staring up at me.

I walked up to the bed and switched on the lamp to take a better look at her. She flinched from the sudden light, and I let out a low gasp at what I saw.

Bella's face was damp with sweat and abnormally pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her breaths were haggard as she closed them again, and I would have thought it was a breathing corpse lying before me.

"Bella, are you feeling okay?" I asked, as I put my palm over her forehead. Her skin was burning beneath my hand. Her eyes opened at my touch, and she looked directly into mine. But I noticed something different about them; they weren't the beautiful chocolate brown I was used to. They were pitch black, as if her pupils were completely dilated.

"I'm fine," she breathed, not even strong enough to speak.

"You look horrible. Wait here, I'll be right back."

I thought I heard her mumble something weakly as I walked out of the room, but I didn't turn back. I quickly went to get a wet cloth and a glass of water. Bella hadn't moved from her spot when I returned, only turning her head slightly in my direction.

"Here you go," I said, as I put the cold wet cloth on her forehead, gently wiping her sweat away.

"That feels good," she moaned quietly, and the sound made me shiver.

I reached for the nightstand drawer to get my old thermometer. "Let's see if you have a fever, which I'm pretty sure you do. Open up." She opened her mouth, and I put the thermometer under her tongue.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding the cloth against her face. She closed her eyes, and after a while, I started to run my fingers through her hair. Bella looked so fragile lying on the bed, breathing became an exertion, her chest heaving in time with each breath.

A few minutes later, I took the thermometer from her and checked her temperature. Oh crap. It read 102.7 degrees.

"Bella, you're burning up." I couldn't hide the panic in my voice. There was a sick girl in my bed, and I absolutely had no idea what to do, how to take care of her. But I would try. She didn't have anyone else; she needed me.

"I'm gonna make you something to eat, okay? Drink this, you need a lot of fluids." I helped her to sit up a little straighter on the bed and handed her the glass of water. She held it weakly in her hands, staring at it with a disgusted expression.

"I don't wanna drink this," she whined.

"You have to, Bella. You need to hydrate."

"But I don't..."

"No 'buts'. Come on, Bella. Please, for me?" I gave her my best puppy eyes. She stared at me and then sighed.

"Okay." She took a deep, haggard breath before tentatively sipping on the water.

"That's my girl," I said with a big smile. She looked up at me and smiled back, and I swore her eyes had gotten even darker. I had to act quickly.

"Drink it all up. I'll be right back." She nodded, and I left the room.

I gathered the ingredients to make chicken soup, something I had learned with my grandmother. She used to make me eat it every time I got sick, and it tasted so good that I asked my grandma to teach me how to cook it. I knew it would help Bella get better, as it always did me. After it was done, I filled a bowl with the hot liquid, grabbed a spoon and headed upstairs.

What I found inside the room almost made me drop the soup. Bella was still lying on the bed on her side, tucked under the sheets. But also lying on the bed by her feet was Bandit and he was sleeping. No growling, no barking or running away from Bella like he usually did whenever she was around.

I approached the bed at a slow pace, the bowl of soup firmly in my hands. "Bella, are you asleep?" I whispered as I gently touched her shoulder. She stirred, turning her head around to look at me. "I brought something for you. It'll make you feel better."

She eyed the bowl in my hand suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Chicken soup. It's really good, trust me. I made it myself," I added with a big, proud smile on my face. "Now sit up straighter so I can feed you."

She did as I said, still staring strangely at the soup. After I sat on the bed next to her, I filled the spoon with the soup, blowing it a little so it wouldn't burn her mouth. The smell of it made her crinkled her nose.

"Oh, don't be like that. You didn't even taste it yet."

"Do I really have to eat it?"

"Yes, you do. If you don't eat something, you'll never get better."

She gave me a strange look. It seemed like guilt, maybe. Or I was just imagining things now.

"I'm sorry, Edward. It's nothing personal; I just don't feel like eating it."

"Why is that? Do you feel sick in your stomach?"

"No, but it..."

"Then take the soup. At least just a few spoonfuls of it, Bella. Please."

I couldn't understand her pained expression. Why was the idea of taking my soup so repulsive to her? I thought she would be hungry, given that she hadn't eaten anything since she arrived here. She seemed truly disgusted by the mere sight of the bowl in my hands. But it didn't matter; she would never get better with an empty stomach.

"Open up. Now," I said a little more forcefully, lifting the spoon to her lips. She closed them tightly and turned her head away. I sighed.

"Bella, I'm starting to lose my patience here."

She kept her head turned to the other side like a stubborn child. "Fine. I thought you wanted me to help you, but I guess I was wrong."

I was about to stand up when she turned to me. "No, Edward, I'm sorry. Don't leave." She reached her hand toward me. And there it was, the crushing vulnerability again. I sighed again and sat back down on the edge of the bed. I held up the spoon to her lips again. She opened them hesitantly, clearly against her will. I pushed the spoon into her mouth quickly before she could change her mind, and her disgusted face almost broke my heart. When she tried to swallow the soup, though, she choked and started coughing violently.

"Whoa, slow down there," I said as I patted her back in an attempt to clear her airways. Instead, she threw up. It wasn't a normal vomit; it was a dark and thick fluid.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she apologized, trying to clean her face with her hand. I took a hold of her arm and pulled her from the bed. "It's okay, don't worry about that. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Bandit had woken up and was already out the room. He'd begun to bark from somewhere downstairs.

I helped Bella out of the bed, but she was too weak to walk by herself, so I put one of her arms around my neck while supporting her with my arm around her waist. I led us to the bathroom, closing the door behind us. Bella leaned against the wall as I prepared a bath for her. She was a complete mess, with tangled long hair and sweaty, filthy face.

"I'm really sorry, Edward. I feel so embarrassed." She closed her eyes, tilting her head back against the wall.

"Nonsense. It's not your fault you're sick. Could you strip? I promise I won't peek."

She started to pull her shirt over her head, so I turned my back to her, feeling my face warm up. I heard her faint giggle behind me.

"The water is good. You can get in now," I said awkwardly.

I tried not to look as her naked body passed by me and got in the tub. She let out a long sigh as she sank into the warm water, her eyes closing again. I didn't waste time as I got to washing her face. She gasped when I poured water on her, but I continued to wash that strange dark liquid from her chin. I grabbed a new bath sponge from the sink cabinets and started to wash her back, her arms, trying to be gentle.

Bella didn't take her eyes from me as I worked. They held such intensity; those big doe eyes seemed to see right through me. I looked away, concentrating on washing her hair.

"What are you staring at?" I tried to smile; the silence was killing me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have exquisite eyes?" she whispered.

I stopped my movements for a second, her words startling me. I was no longer used to women complementing me. There was a time when it was quite frequent; back in high school, college. When I had a real social life. But even back then, girls always seemed nervous around me. They stared, giggled, blushed. Most of them were fake. Bella wasn't fake. She was simply herself, did what needed to be done and always spoke her mind.

"Probably. But with a different word choice, I believe," I chuckled, and then stood up. "All done. I'm gonna get you a towel."

After that, I gave her another old t-shirt and waited outside as she changed. A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom looking clean, but still very tired, the dark circles under her eyes even more pronounced. She slowly made her way to me, until her legs collapsed. I caught her before she could hit the ground, then picked her up in my arms, bridal style.

"Thanks," Bella mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

I proceeded to carry her to my room, since the bed in the guest room was a mess. I'd take care of that later. I placed her on my bed, tucking her under the covers. I went back to the bathroom and took a long, relaxing shower. When I came back to my room, I found Bella sleeping, and once again Bandit was at the foot of the bed, this time on the floor, as if he were guarding her. That was odd. I could've sworn he was afraid of her not too long ago. After turning off the lights, I slipped under the cover on the opposite side of the bed. I let out a long, tired sigh and closed my eyes; hoping sleep would get to me soon. Bella was breathing softly next to me, the heat emanating from her like a soft lullaby.

At some point during the night, a stirring movement coming from next to me woke me up. Startled, I looked out the window automatically and saw it was still dark. A strangled choking sound made me turn to my left to find Bella having what only seemed like a seizure. I didn't even pay attention to Bandit loudly barking in the background.

I quickly pulled her head up, so she wouldn't choke on her own saliva. I noticed the left side of her face was covered in that black fluid; she had probably puked again. I tried to get a reaction from her.

"Bella! Bella, can you hear me?" It wasn't such a good idea. When she tried to respond, she only choked harder, and I saw her eyes roll to the back of her head. I started to panic. Not too long ago, I thought she was going to get better with a good night of sleep, but it only got worse. I had no idea what else to do; I would have to take her to the hospital.

"Bella, I'm taking you to the hospital now, okay? Don't worry, you're gonna be fine."

She shook her head frantically at that. "No, please don't," she managed to say, a look of desperation on her face. I simply ignored her; I wasn't exactly asking for her permission.

I scooped her into my arms and ran out of the room, Bandit following close, still barking loudly. "Bandit! Stay, boy." He stopped at my command and hurried to the front door. I grabbed my car keys on the way, fumbling a little as I tried to get Bella in the truck. After she was settled, we were off.

It was hard to concentrate on the road when Bella could barely breathe next to me. I had opened the windows in an attempt to let the air circulate and freshen her up a bit, but it didn't seem to help much. The sweat made her face damp and once more dirty with that odd vomit of hers. Now I had two bed sheets to clean when we got back.

"How do you feel?" I asked her as I pushed some hair away from her face.

"Weak," she whispered in a barely audible voice.

Oh, she was weak, indeed. I'd seen how she couldn't find the strength to move while she choked helplessly on the bed. I didn't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't awakened.

About twenty minutes later, the light of the city started to appear in the distance. I'd only gone to the hospital here a couple of times, but I knew the way quite well. Most of the town's establishments were closed, considering the late hour. I parked my truck, almost running to get to Bella's side. I opened the door carefully, so she wouldn't fall to the ground, picking her up in my arms again. I walked as fast as I could without actually breaking into a run, so the sway of my movements wouldn't make her feel even worse.

Bright lights greeted us as we entered the building. The reception area of the ER was nearly empty, only a couple of unfortunate patients waiting for a doctor or something, but they didn't looked as bad as Bella. The lady behind the counter was reading a cheesy novel, a bored expression on her face. When she saw me entering with a girl who probably looked like a filthy corpse in my arms, she gasped loudly, a hand flying to her chest.

"Oh my God! What's happened to her?"

"I really don't know. She got sick, and wouldn't eat anything, and not too long ago, she almost choked to death on her own vomit," I said in a rush. The woman looked at me with wide eyes, then quickly recovered from her shock and went to request an available doctor.

"You can sit down; it'll only take a minute." And then she disappeared into the halls. I looked around and found the waiting chairs, the few people sitting there looking at me with as much shock as the receptionist.

"What the hell are you looking at?" I barked at them. I felt like we were a freak show, and the girl in my arms didn't deserve that. They looked away in shame and fear.

I sat down in the chair farthest away from the others, who were whispering viciously amongst themselves. I cuddled Bella in my lap and settled for ignoring them; it was the best to do right now.

"Hang on, Bella. A doctor is coming to see you," I whispered in her ear, rocking gently back and forth. She opened her eyes slowly, and I had to resist the urge to sob. They were utterly bloodshot; her pupils seemed impossibly darker. Se looked up at me, silently begging for something with her eyes.

"Edward..."

"Hush, now. You're gonna be okay." I honestly didn't know whom I was trying to convince at this point.

A few minutes later, the receptionist returned. "Dr. Grant will see you right now. Would you care to follow me?" she asked in a rushed tone, turning back to the hall. As I was about to stand up, Bella's breathing picked up, and she clung to me with all the strength she had left. "No! Please, Edward, don't let them take me," she pleaded, panic clear in her dark eyes.

"Shh, Bella, I'm right here. Nobody's taking you." My arms tightened around her. When I tried to get up again, Bella started screaming and held onto me for dear life. I didn't know where she got the strength from, but suddenly she was kicking and screaming as I tried to take her to the room. She was making it quite difficult with her struggle. Eventually, some male nurses were requested to try and tame Bella. But as soon as she spotted them, her arms went around my neck viciously, nearly chocking me.

"Please, Edward! I'm begging you! I don't wanna go!"

Bella kept screaming as the nurses grabbed her and dragged her away from me. "We're gonna have to sedate her," one of them yelled to another. Everybody in the room was paralyzed, staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of us. I sat frozen in my spot, unable to do anything. My vision blurred as I watched that fragile girl in the pure incarnation of despair being dragged to a room, her loud screams fading in the distance.

I fell back down on the chair, lowering my head into my hands, pulling at my messy hair. I could still hear the muffled noises from the room, and it was leaving me on edge. The receptionist had returned to her place and was trying her best to ignore the events.

After a long while, everything finally went silent. The noises and screaming had ceased, and we all just sat there as if waiting for something to happen. I looked at the receptionist,who just shrugged.

And then it happened. A loud noise came from the door, and we all jumped in surprise. I stood up and headed to the source of the sound.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't go in there." The receptionist came to restrain me.

"What the fuck was that? What are they doing to her?" I was starting to get really pissed now.

"They're just doing their job. Now would you please-"

She was interrupted by a screeching sound. Then a blonde nurse came rushing through the door, panic clear in her face.

"Betty, call the police. Dr. Grant is dead, and the girl is gone."

"What?" Betty and I said loudly in unison. I didn't think twice as I ran through the corridors, until I reached Bella's room. There was a commotion by the door, and I pushed the people aside so I could enter. What I saw in front of me made my blood run cold. A corpse, probably the doctor's, was lying on the ground, but I could barely see anything besides blood. The body was clearly mutilated, disfigured.

I took a step back. "Shit."


End file.
